RHGD ZEAL (RWBY OC story)
by Blackn1nj4
Summary: Something new is happening in the world of Remnant. A town being built for both Faunus and humans to live side by side, as equals. Vale is sponsoring this new bold proposition. But when the teams Beacon academy keeps sending starts running into hordes and hordes of grimm, will the town be able to stand against the onslaught or will it fall victim to another grimm defeat.
1. Chapter 1: Abandoned hope

Deep in the abysmal myre of never ending void, wisps of darkness swirl in an oncoming tide of darkness. Back and forth, push and pull, it deepens within itself revealing only what it once was and what it would soon give birth too. Sanity, logic, feelings, emotion. They do not exist. They never had and never will. Constructs of life which foolish sentience holds dear, only to be extinguished again and again by its own selfish desires. Falling short of what it could be, destroying to create, creating to destroy. A never ending cycle of imprudent reverie that would only end in misery. It would be this darkness, that ebbed, and pulsated in the pit of nothing, a mass at the center of shadows, birthing that which would face this injustice to its realm. To its world.

The abyss seemed to flow with new energy and new life, as more and more wisps of floating shadow seeped into it's never ending rebirth. Revitalizing that which had been dead for centuries, that which would reawaken to find itself at the epitome of it's own grand design. A creature that could only shine through it's own demoniac self to forgo the shadows that bound it. The whirling which never ended. The tide had always flowed. The shadows always corrupting its physical existence.

Until now. The creature seeped from the swirling mass of darkness. Clawing its way from the never ending pit that was it's home for so long. Crawling, dragging, tearing it ripped through the wisps of pitch black, the swirling void and reaching up, its single hand finding not purchase to help it escape the bottomless mire, but life. Life that it strangled and sucked into its own being and adopted as its own.

The Shadows and and murk gave way to something inconceivable within the world of Remnant.

A darkness that it had long since forgotten. A threat that it has once thought forever bound.

A creature of unspeakable tormentous horror, now standing on the precipice of its own world.

Smiling.

* * *

The room itself was darkened to her liking. The only light showing was from her monitors as she studied the hovering images before her. Her hands flying fast across the keyboard, her bright blue eyes keeping track of the moving pictures before her. Different camera angles depicting different but similar scenes as she tried to keep up with what she knew.

The battle raging outside.

For more than a week now Milla and team CFVY from Beacon Academy had been battling what seemed to be an endless horde of Grimm. Consistently fighting for their and the lives of the people they protected. They were all tired now. The exhaustion apparent in their bodies and actions. Still they kept at it, continuing their barricades, their barrages, their defense, never once giving in to the force that wished to overwhelm them. Milla herself having been taken from the front lines due to damaged weaponry, now sat typing furiously at a keyboard, staring into the blaring bright screens of the scrolls in front of her. Her white high collar, baggy parka taking up most of her mass as she sat cross legged upon her chair. A furrowed frown slowly came into formation upon her freckled face. Her tech goggles reflecting the light of the screen. She visibly relaxed as the flashing screens seemed to simmer down. Her fingers typing a bit slower now. Yes it had been a week of consistent guard. Consistent killing.

It was as if this whole plan was doomed from the start. As if building this new village was supposed to fail. They almost couldn't keep up. Almost. CFVY had been able to hold the walls of Chlor up until this point, and with her help, Milla had been working tirelessly to create traps, and keep out the Grimm. They had simply been consistently overwhelmed. Now it seemed as if they were on the brink of disaster. Even a momentary lapse in concentration would let just one of them through. Something that CFVY and Milla both did not wish to see happen. The screen flashed again and her hands sped up their tempo, flying across the keys and lighting up her scrolls before her. Her body image creating an eerie shadow upon the wall. As the screens flickered so did the depicted figure. On the screens she could see the city. A heightened view as if from the clouds themselves. She could see the towering mountainous alcove that the small village stood within. The large towering cliff that stretched high above the city covering half of it in darkened shadow when the sun was just right in the sky. The rocky outcropping providing a natural cover from the shade, and more importantly the grimm for the people below. To the north of the village laid the ever twisting forest. The one that was home to all of the grimm, creatures that stumbled from the dark only to feast upon the restless souls that was the village.

No, not even a feast, a simple slaughter. Blood had barely been spilled thanks to Coco and her team's efforts but not all was fine either. Milla watched as the four of them down below on the outskirts of the forest, continued pummeling into the ravaging beasts that continued their onslaught. Always endless, always daunting, the grimm continued to push forth.

Beowolves, boarbatusks, and other types pouring in on the four figures, only to be steadily torn down. Some grimm seeing a chance turned and ran, others slipping through the cracks, rushing up the newly built wall that protected the villagers from the forest, only to be shot down by what Milla herself was controlling. Atlesian airships. The hovering dust engines loud, the wind whooshing bending trees and grass alike, slowly circling the small clearing that CFVY had decided to encompass. She, leveling anything that decided to try and get by. A warning light began flashing upon one of her scrolls screens. Red, Yellow and a mixture of iridescent flickers` rolled over the left screen until it finally went blank, registering nothing except for grey static. Fear peaked over the horizon of her mind then as she focused more inwardly towards her task. Fear that they wouldn't make today like the rest of the days. They had been pushed to limits that no hunter or huntress should have ever been pushed to. Exhaustion fell on her then and her focus was lost. It didn't matter that she gained control of the other failing craft, or that she found the source of loss for the first. She was tired. Her eyes drooping into a micro sleep that lasted only mere seconds. Time enough for the large nevermore to finish what they had started. Feathers rained down on the second craft interrupting all thought process' of recovering and firing upon its attacker. She watched the screen as the airship spun out of control descending into the shimmering green forest below. Then the second scroll blanked out as well leaving her stunned in silence. She sat for a moment staring at the screen, her eyes seeming to collapse in on themselves, her body heavy. It was as if she was deteriorating herself, falling away into the much needed dreamland that called to her.

She snapped up, eyes wide, body tense, mind alert. Though only for a single moment as she resisted the temptation of exhausted sleep. She needed to go, now.

Milla stood from the chair and rushed from the room. The wheeling seat crashing into the far wall falling over onto its side. She didn't care, she'd pick it up later, there were more important things to do. Opening the balcony doors she stepped outside, letting the bright sun beat down upon her pale skin. Through her goggles she looked out, north towards the wall, making the tech zoom in.

The nevermore had reached the city, flying overhead their large wingspans blanketing multiple shabby roofs in darkened shadows. Blotting out the sun. She could hear the screams for where she stood. The makeshift hunters HQ in the middle of the village. She turned and ran. She had to help. She had to get there. To save lives. In her frantic decent down the stairs a thought dawned on her causing her to stop for a moment. Letting herself breath for a moment. The sheer weight of panic slowly lifting, giving way to something more. Reality. She had no weapon. They had broken out upon the field of battle, shattering just as the airship that now laid crumpled upon the forest floor. She slumped against the wall, defeat, and hopelessness burrowing deep into her was nothing she could do. Without her back up the grimm would make it over the walls there was no doubt.

"Heh..so much for being a Huntress." Her words parted her lips, tasting the air around her filling the rest of her with the sense of dread. She had hoped that one day she could be a successful huntress like her father before her. Defeating the grimm, helping both people and faunus alike. Showing kindness where kindness was due and a hard fist when it was needed. Now all she could do was sink to the floor and let the exhaustion take her. Her eyes slipping closed in the brightly lit room that was the downstairs den. Just before they shut, a small glint caught in the overhanging light flashed lighting up her world and her thoughts one last time.

A dust rifle lay perched on one of the den's high tables. Parts and cartridges laid next to it, sprawled across the small surface. The glimmer caught the light and the light caught an idea. She could still help, still be useful. She stood and covering the distance she reached out for the weapon taking it in her hands. It felt just right as she slipped it up into the crook of her shoulder and practiced aiming it. She checked herself, her heavy parka made of a tightly knit kevlar weave, her steel greaves upon her shins and now the dust cartridges loaded upon her belt. She was ready to go out and face the threat that stood before her. Breathing deeply into her high collar she pushed open the door rifle at the ready.

The light of the sun mixed with the light of room behind her both getting lost, intertwining within one another so that she couldn't tell where which began and ended. Darkness covered her momentarily as the large shadow of the beasts flew overhead circling back towards the square, where it's brethren now awaited it. Firing feathers and tipping buildings with it's for front claws. The wind beating from their wings pushing down upon the ground kicking up dirt and dust alike, blowing away roofs and uprooting people from the earth. Milla ran. Her steps taking her farther and farther away from safety of the makeshift HQ. Quickly she rolled into an alleyway dodging a volley of sharpened feathers that rained down on the buildings and cobblestone road. Rocks digging into her back and upper shoulders, but she didn't feel it. Only mild pressure from the stone as her parka protected her. Once again she found herself back to the wall, breath heavy, sweat began to trickle down her forehead. She peered out of the darkened alleyway to make sure it was circling again. After she caught sight of the first ones back she rushed forth once more out into the open, her footsteps echoing off the stone road, reflecting off of the newly cement buildings around her. The streets seemed so vacant now, streets that had been lined with laughter and play were empty. No sound except that of her boots and the rancorous cawing of the creatures overhead.

Finally her adventures into the open brought her to a building with an attached fire escape. Her breath ragged now, her body tensing as she began to make the climb, forcing herself up the red steps and onto the tar roof. There she purchased, loaded the rifle, aimed. A barrage of feathers peppered the area where she had knelt to fire, sharp and hard the bullet like projectiles flew through the cement structure tearing holes throughout its walls and roof. Milla was unperturbed, two feathers had burst through her protective aura and now pierced her skin. Pain was now more present than it had been as she struggled to make her body move. One from the shoulder, one had pierced her jeans just above the knee. She ignored this pain, overcoming it and bringing the rifle to bear. She fired.

Blue and yellow shells flew from the barrel of the gun finding true homes in the creature's eyes and face. Electric sparks shattered ice droplets that had begun forming across its midsection pelting the things hide with more shards of ice. A multitude of combat efficiency which only years acquired at beacon could have taught her. Blinded and injured the flying beast swan dived out over the wall, landing in the clearing of CFVY. Its death cries screeching above the tumult that had been the rest of the grimm. She stood, letting the rifle fall to her side and onto the roof. She had been fighting here in Chlor for so long, almost nonstop. She hung her head, her black hair falling over her sweat dripped face, her breathing coming in ragged breaths. Subtle sounds pierced her world as the lids of her eyes closed letting in that beckoning darkness. Another rain of feathers pelted the building where Milla stood. The remaining nevermore seeking revenge for its fallen comrade. The roof collapsed. And the darkness that threatened to take her, engulfed her fully.


	2. Chapter 2: Rugged discussions

Halena felt the oncoming draft of wind as it blew over the balcony. Letting it wash over her, spilling around her contours and curves as she herself twirled her fingers in the wind, interweaving them through the nothing that was the air around her. Her soft red lips parting, feeling the cold night's air fill her lungs. She was lost up here. She was always lost when she came to this place. Allowing herself to be so, to let the world around her dissipate into nothing, becoming one with the sky and endless void of unseeable wind. Her thoughts tumbling out into the night air letting it stay blank as her escapism engulfed her fully. For minutes she did this, twirling her fingers so effortlessly in the blowing wind, gracefully. Hypnotizing herself into a state of relaxed exultation that slowly, so slowly, swallowed up her very being. Her entire existence falling into the precise moment in time. She did this when she was stressed or nervous. It was a method she had learned over the years to relax herself, to calm her emotions before a mission, or an important test. This space, all of it, where she stood watching the invisible tendrils of wind trail through her fingers, was her place. Nothing could disturb her hear, nothing could break her bubble. Halena, no Holly, for that was the name she wished for herself, stood languidly gazing about the sunset strewn horizon.

Rhom watched her from the door. A simple young man, dark brown hair curled down near the edges of his bangs giving him a natural ruffled look. Brown eyes, and tanned skin meeting the blazing red of the sleeves that belonged to his hunter gear. He looked out over the balcony, his left hand perched on the door frame propping his leaning body, keeping himself from tumbling over as he eyed the spectacle before him. The sun behind Holly's silhouette outlining her curvaceous body, her thin frame, and soft rounded cheeks. The wind floating gently between her long dirty blond hair, lifting and placing the strands of loose length upon her back. She was always a sight, but this afternoon she seemed so much more to him. Beauty incarnate. He waited for her there a smile of warmth parting his thin lips, letting the energy from his non interaction imbibe itself on his merit. He waited. She always did this before a mission. Came up here at the top schools balcony to relax, to the let the wind whisper it's sweet nothings into her ear, and to allow tensing muscles to rework themselves into comfortable placidness. This was no different. However, their mission was.

To protect a small town, or village, Rhom was not sure at the moment, from invading grimm so that it could be built up to normal standards. Transit tower, modern transportation, a working utility system and so forth. The only problem is what the towns purpose was. To unite faunus and humans together. Something none of team RHGD was particularly fond of. However he knew that if they had taken this mission and succeeded, their names would go into history books. The town of Chlor was supposed to be something special, something new. A city of equality. Where faunus and humans were treated the same, had the same rights, and would never differ in class. Rhom however believed the case to be opposite. Yes they should partake within the workforce and have job security but no, they shouldn't be allowed complete free roam. Even now there were syndicates dedicated to violence within the faunus ranks, while the humans only created organizations to build. To create. Too many times had he heard of white fang attacks and the scars it left upon the populace. The fear that they created, the dividend between what was moral and immoral. He knew that the Schnee dust company was one of their prime targets and he knew how constantly attacking them affected everyone. It sickened him to his core that they would revert to such senseless violence.

Then again, there was the small town. Trying to make a difference, trying to settle things peacefully between everyone involved. He knew he couldn't just blame all of them for committing the violent acts that consistently berated the media. No that was an asinine illogical thought, but he could blame those worth blaming. Give faunus all of that leeway though, and they would run the human race into the ground. Of that he was absolutely sure. He broke his twirling thoughts as Holly turned to him, her dimmed green eyes reflecting the setting sun as her gaze fell upon where stood. The wind around her dying, slowly falling out of reach of her skin and tendrils of hair. Her gaze billowing behind her pupils into a sharp focus that pierced him. She looked him up and down, and in the mere instant Rhom could see the revulsion spreading throughout her body.

"What are you doing?"

Her voice was harsh. To his ears however they fell upon him in a deeper majestic tone, fooling his brain into thinking she was welcoming him instead of rejecting his very being.

"I was waiting for you. I wanted to go over tomorrow's mission. Make sure I had everything right."

She bristled a little and walked to him, her tall lengthy legs briskly covering the stone surface underneath. He didn't have time to enjoy her movement as she was upon him too quickly.

"I told you not to bother me while I was up here."

"I waited until you were finished." His voice was secreted in a sarcastic tone that had her retreat for a moment. There was no arguing that point as she had no idea he was even there until her mind reshaped the reality around her.

"So...Do you want to go over the details? Or should I take the plans to Garrne't." His lips pursed into a smile as he watched the reactions play across her face. First there was uneasiness, as if being alone with Rhom for any period of time in and of itself would be the most unpleasant thing she had ever experienced. Second, her face twisted into a thoughtful expression, as she began to realize, the thoughts slowly connecting themselves, interweaving into a backlog of thoughts she had suddenly dragged from memory, that Garrne't was not the best judge of tactics, or character. The young man would have had them walk into danger only to best it with strength of will instead of tactfully summarize a situation and decide a best course of action. Of course she knew Rhom was playing her in this instance but what other choice did she have? Let him decide on all of the plans and preparations. Rhom was, adept, she would given him that, but not adept enough. If not second guessed, he would indefinitely leave out important details, clues, or even gear that they would need. Holly and the other two had found this out the hard way when he once forgot to pack food on a week long outing that ended with them all almost starving.

"Fine." the finality of her answer echoed in Rhoms ears and he brightened, his smile slightly forming a now constant grin on his face.

"Good we can walk and talk."

They exited the balcony letting the scene of the setting sun lay upon their backs, mixing in the colors of green and brightened red with that of the orange light. The door shut slowly behind them as their footsteps echoed off the pavement underneath.

"So just to clarify we'll be there for about a week. Are there any essentials we'll need besides weapons, food and armor?" Rhom brought out his scroll, tapping and swiping a few screens in, until he finally brought up a list. The one he'd constructed for this moment, ready to add or take away anything else that was needed.

Holly thought for a moment, her hands slipping into the jacket pockets of her forested green colored hoodie. She moved her fingers in them a bit getting her hands comfortable resting her weight in the jacket.

"Well we'll be in a town so not that much food. Focus on bringing what dust cartridges we have, and go into Vale to buy extras if we look like we're running low. Of course make sure that everyone's weapons are at their best. They might be in constant use…"

Rhom stopped her mid sentence.

"I've looked at some of the others reports regarding Chlor, and that might actually happen. Especially in this last week. Reports from the lead Huntress, Milla, I think her name was, just stopped coming in. So we don't know what's been happening the last couple days."

Holly stopped for a moment causing Rhom to walk ahead of her a couple paces before noticing. His eyes were still locked on his scroll. He too halted his steps and turned towards her.

"What is it?" His voice taking on the tone of questioning sentiment.

"Did you...Why did you take this mission again. It's starting to sound more trouble than what its worth."

Rhom stared at her. He knew why he himself wanted to take this mission, as he signed up for it he didn't even remotely think about how the others might feel. He just did it. An impulsive act that overwhelmed his senses in a fleeting moment. A want for fame. To be recognized. To have a place in history, like his father and mother before him. The Redvinne's had placeholders in history. During the great war, during the battle of the faunus. Even now they worked hard on developing and manufacturing weapons and dust rifles for both the Atlesian and Vacuo militaries and Huntsmen alike. Chlor just seemed like one of the perfect stepping stones to that path. This was something he wanted, no, needed in his life. To make people recognize who he was outside from the shadow that was his family. He sometimes wondered if one of the junior cadets, the one with the name Schnee felt like this sometimes. If being under her parents shadow was too much for her and that's why someone like her joined Beacon.

"I know, dealing with faunus isn't RHGD's cup of tea, but if we do this we might get some recognition from the headmaster. Ya know?"

He said it strait out. He watched her contemplate for a moment, her eyes narrowing at him. Trying to size him up. Debating on whether what he said was truth or not.

"Fine. But I won't go anywhere near those…" She couldn't finish her sentence. Her hatred, no that wasn't the word she could use to describe the feelings she had towards faunus. It was more of an utter revulsion, of a cascading abhorrent. Her entire being shuddered at just the thought of talking to one of them, of seeing them. Their eyes, the way the reflected an animals, the way their ears and tails always twitched on their bodies. She couldn't stand the sight of them, let alone even thinking of treating them as equals. It was all her father's fault, for remarrying that...that creature.

"Yea that's ok." Rhom finished her sentence for her.

"I assumed that'd be the case. Anyway, we are going to replace team CFVY. I actually hope that we get to see them. Coco is definitely one of my more favorite juniors." He stated. His face was awash with enthusiasm as he started poking down at his scroll again. Holly only rolled her eyes. A fluid movement that got much, much practice when dealing with her idiot leader.

"So what else is on your checklist? Food, supplies, weapon conditions, ammunition and?"

"Sleep and being well rested." Came his answer a second later as he ticked off everything she listed. Good, he hadn't missed anything this time.

"Oh is that all?"

"Yup, I'll send Garrne't and Deneim to go check on the other supplies. Garrne't always loves making trips into Vale. It's one of his more favorite things to do I think."

"Probably because it gives him a chance to preach at people." Holly retorted. "I guess growing up in a small village where grimm worship is the center of your life makes him want to shout it at the world." Holly stated.

Rhom only nodded halfheartedly in agreement. With his checklist done he had begun scrolling through other things on his small touchscreen, staring at the latest news in both weaponry and Atlesian cyborg advancements. He brightened when he read an article stating general ironwood had announced a new synthetic droid to join the armies ranks. He was fully enveloped as Holly continued talking. She got like this sometimes, once a topic set her off. Her mouth just didn't stop. Not that it was annoying, but three years of constant repetition had turned him off to her fueled ranting. She continued speaking about how Garrne't was an oddball, but how they still respected him, about his mannerisms and how they differ from other cultures. The talk of other cultures spawning into a lengthy self debate about how the world is and society should just accept it. After a while, to Rhom, it was merely exhausting to listen to. Although he still caught snippets here and there. A soft smile spreading across his face as he swiped fingers across his scroll, glancing at tech articles, and listening to the droning in her voice. Her soft mesmerizing voice. He loved it as a backdrop to the normal silent world. Her rhythmic low tones lulling him into a false sense of relaxation that he was always thankful for. Even now as he deemed her repeated points irritating, he still enjoyed it. It was one of the finer things that Holly had to offer, and why he seeked her out more and more, wishing to hear her. To bother her, to watch her facial expressions as they danced across her face. She was beautiful to him and he had always enjoyed her presence. Whether it was requited or not was still in his mind, yet to be resolved.

The moment fell silent as they stood before the door to their room, their teammates possibly waiting inside for them to inform them of what might happen. What would happen, and what should happen. The mission, tomorrow's happenings resting on all of their minds, echoing in a tight whisper that fed into each of their nervous anxieties.

What if they failed?

What if someone died?

What if?

What if?

The question burning a hole into Rhoms thoughts, slowly disintegrating the invisible barrier between acceptance and knowing, letting the doubt and the worry seep in. It washed over him in that brief moment, a pained expression screwing his eyebrows into a furrowed scowl. His face twisting but only in that moment. He knew that once he opened the door he had to commit. To everything. The reason he had signed them up, his preparations. Everything. This is what a leader was. Something that he slowly learned over the course of his time with them. WIth team RHGD. And as rugged as they might be, they had still always made it through the day.

He placed his hand on the knob opening it quickly, and briskly walked in himself eyeing their small abode. Four beds, each stacked against their own corners longways so they had open space in the middle to walk and move. In each of the four corners were their own personalized items, posters and other decorative objects. Because of this, each corner of the room were four highly individualized stylings. In Rhoms corner he prided himself on his knowledge of games, and scroll manipulating abilities. His entire area dedicated to the art of gaming in and of itself, a red carpet sat on the tiled flooring, a deep maroon red, that reflected the same color of his sheets and blankets. His monitor screens, because there were many, all hung from mounts on his wall, each one on and dedicated to a task or program that he was in the middle of working on. Each one an important project to him that couldn't be interrupted. Because of this the others made him place sheets to cover his corner up each night that way no light escaped through.

This particularly pleased Deneim who sat directly opposite of the screens. His darkened corner seeped in shadows. Blue and black covered the walls where he had painted, not caring about school policy, his posters showing different metal bands all dressed in weird outlandish outfits. Much like his own, the chained tight black denim pants and the long sleeved Deep blue shirt with different symbols etched into the stitching looked like it went together. Even with all of the tears and holes in his shirt, jacket and jeans, he still somehow came off as cool. His short cut black hair hiding his eyes, black nailpolish carefully painted on his fingers and toenails. It didn't matter if he hid them in leather strapped boots, to him it was an aesthetic thing and none of the other three ever questioned it. His corner and style however was in full contrast to Garrne't's corner.

Garrne't's corner was simple. Nothing much there except his pristine white tiled flooring, a simple bed, with simple dark red blankets and sheets. Nothing on his wall except a stain glassed depiction of Grimm and a small nail with a necklace that hung from it. It was his only possessions besides the black and grey robes he wore and his hunters weapon. Garrne't could also be described as a simple man. His grimm worship being the center of his entire world. That was all he had, all he cared about. Sometimes Rhom would look at him, envious feeling rising in his gut. Somehow, Garrne't had everything already figured out. Life in its entirety solved, mysteries that would placate even the most intelligent he waved off. He just, knew.

His eyes fell over Holly's side of the room. Her soft green tones covered everything. Her bedding, her wall, her clothes, her posters. Green and tinges of red outlined her room. To him when he looked at her corner he always saw a festive flair in it. As if she was trying to replicate something from her past. A memory that hid away deep in her mind. The bands that she loved, Green grace, or Festive brides, hung up at the side of her bed. Bells and bright red marble balls hung at either ends of her golden brown bed. On the bed were bright green blankets and sheets outlined in the same bright red as the marbles. He always awed at her decoration. She had out of all of them, taken the time to painstakingly put her corner of the room together. Just the way she wanted it, the way she liked it. All three of the men in the room acknowledged and appreciated this. For her corner was always a sight to behold.

Rhom crossed the middle ground to his corner, opening the sheets the separated his room from the others. Lighted screens hanging on the wall filled his vision, each one showing something completely different from the last. He turned for a brief moment smiling at the other three. Holly had entered just behind him and now stood in the doorway. His smile faded as he watched the others. Deneim sat on his bed, foot bobbing in the air headphones stuck deep in his ears. The music was so loud the other three could hear the heavy drums and screaming coming from them. Garrne't also sat upon his bed but he was meditating. Upon Rhoms entrance, his focus had shattered losing everything that was stored in his mind. It had spilled out, draining in a whirlpool of madness and chaos. He had lost everything from this session. His annoyance grew stern on his face as he looked to Rhom who was slapping Deneim's foot from the air. The boy jolted and stared at Rhom, fury in his half hidden eyes. His long black bangs covering most of them.

"What do you want?" Deneims tone was harsh as he stood up, his tall slender body having him tower over Rhom by a few inches. Rhom looked up at him and smiled. Deneim he knew had issues. Or that's what Rhoms thoughts always led him to believe. Even after three years of being in the same room, fighting side by side, learning of each other's weakness' and abilities Deneims continued with this attitudinal charade. Something that bothered all three of his teammates. Deneim knew it too. Rhom figured that after awhile his acting would die down. But it never did. He watched as Deneim drew closer, almost standing inches in front of him before Rhom finally shook his head and had taken a step back looking at Garrne't who also seemed displeased with him.

"Guys..I just want to talk about tomorrows mission, and tonight's dance. That's all." He explained putting up his hands as if trying to calm a rabid dog. His mind began racing. He knew they'd be annoyed, he even knew that they might brush this off as minor annoyances, but still he wished to broach the subject before it was too late.

"Leave the dancing to the first years, we have a job to do. In fact we should have already been up in the air two days ago." Deneims soured low voice rang in Rhom's eardrums. They eyed each other for a brief moment before Rhom finally shrugged already knowing for a fact, that all four of them felt like this. RHGD hadn't really cared about the dance, or about the Vytal festival. Though in some secret space, compacted somewhere deep in his wants, Rhom did wish he could join them. Dance with a princess upon the ballroom floor, fight epic fights in one on one matches with other Hunters and Huntress. He thought it would be grand, and if he won he'd have been able to get Redvinne's name on the map. People would flock to their stores, some coming from across remnant itself to pick up Redvinne product. It almost made him salivate thinking about it.

"Fine, fine. But what you said about the mission isn't true. We're not supposed to leave until CFVY comes back. The problem, is that there's been some kind of delay or something. So we are going tomorrow morning to make them come back. Get it?" Rhom said. One of his thick brown eyebrows raised.

Deneim just shook his head rolling his eyes at his so called leader.

"It doesn't matter when they came back. We knew they are probably in trouble, we could be helping instead of sitting around doing nothing." He retorted.

"He's got you there." Holly chimed it. It was a quick precised quip that knocked any hope of recovery out of Rhoms mental grasp. His thoughts reeled for a moment as he sighed and just shrugged.

"Fine, you should have forced us to go then." He finally stated.

"Like I could under man your vote, oh powerful leader." Deneims tone was mocking now and even Rhom knew it was rightfully so.

Two days ago when he had picked up the mission, he had held everyone off. Just so he might have a chance to dance with Holly. He had tried so hard to convince her to go. Remembering that why he had gone up to the balcony to see her in the first place, but he had faltered at the last moment. All thoughts of her and him on the dance floor fading from view. A flash of golden sun on her shimmering blonde mane filled his mind's eyes and he smiled. Deneim scowled at him It was obvious he wanted to punch Rhom directly in his face, right in the center but decided against it. It wouldn't do well to batter someone whom he might need to save him on the field. Rhom's grin widened as he noted what had just happened, A brief escape from the situation that now showed itself before him. The thin tall boy glared now, his scowl furrowing even more, his face twisted in bottled rage. Rage that had been building for almost three years. Rhom, in his eyes was nothing more than pathetic garbage. Rhom knew this, or he thought he knew this as he watched Deneim walk away and sit back on his bed ignoring the rest of what Rhom had to say. This was usual.

He then turned to the final two. His face twisting into a confused frown. They had vanished. During his confrontation with Deneim both Holly and Garrne't had left the room, leaving the two young men to stare each other down.

Shaking his head he sighed his mind falling into a circular loop that tormented him for the next few hours as he sat staring at his consoles in his corner. He had gone too far this time….and he knew it.

* * *

Fear. It built upon itself, leading way to frantic thoughts. A crescendo of innocence screaming into a void so thick that it would turn in on itself. Continually flowing around in a never ending circle of panic and frustration that would not allow for clear conscious. Always present, always there, sometimes fleeting, until it is amass within the mindset of an individual who could no longer stand the sight of the demoniac abyss. A pulsating scent of nothing, a creeping figure from the shadows, the sense that there is something always there. Watching, waiting, feeling for the moment that it should come to bear. Pressing down upon that which is life until the point it could finally snuff it out.

A pressure so intense, that it was felt by all those who basked in the smiling things hellish glory.


	3. Chapter 3: A fleeting glimpse

The metal of the airship was cold upon the bottom of Zuri's bare feet sending shiver upon shiver of disconnect throughout his body. Disconnect from himself and disconnect from the earth itself. It traversed him, traveling up his body like a languid snake, slithering into every crevice of his bones until he was more than aware of his position. Hovering hundreds of feet in the sky, above a cascading treetop forest overlooking a southern horizon. His mind fought between the escapism of self and his own fears, diligently making his eyes stare into the metal wall in front of him. Daring them not to wander off and view something as unsightly as height. The metal continued to remind him of this prospect as he heard his teammates behind him. Each one enjoying the ride much more than he personally thought they should be.

"Here's to hoping we'll find something this time,"

The voice belonged to Lazil. A trickle of relaxation pierced the wall of fears that held his mind in tow. It was awash now with a slow moving reassurance that everything will be fine. All he had to do, was make it back to the earth, back to his connection. Back to his semblance. The air rushed past, blowing through the thick white fur that covered his ears and tail. A brisk chill wound up through the air breaking over his smooth tan skin. Zuri stood near the center back wall of the airship, holding onto one of the Atlesian robotic guards for support. His knees were shaking slightly as the aircraft banked a sharp turn over the frenzied forest. Soon they would be at their destination, out in the open, one with the air and trees and sky. He dared himself a glance into the cargo bay where his team stood. All relaxed, sitting, standing, talking. letting their words flow over each other in a comforted lullaby that seeped into his very own being. He needed them, just as much as they needed him. Amethyst gave him a slight smile and his eyes darted back to the ground. A glimpse of greenery came into view just outside the open bay doors.

It wasn't truly a fear of heights that plagued him in this moment. It's what his slight aversion to sky travel entailed within him. He could feel it now, bubbling just beneath the surface of his fear, leading his thoughts astray, to what seemed like a never ending circle of self conviction. One that ended and began with himself. Rage. A blood boiling rage filling him to his very core. It was a part of him as was his physical self was. His mind had always combated it, feeling the frothing violence that he could unleash it at any given moment. One that seeped deep down into his very blood. The blood of a Wolven. The blood of a faunus.

However now he had it under control, even though the height of himself bore down upon him.

"I can't believe we haven't been able to find a single lead so far. You'd think we'd have gotten somewhere by now…"

"These things don't just grow on trees me dear Amethyst. They take time, patience. Even if it means going all the way out here to hit up a rumor," Lazil responded to the worried voice of Amethyst.

"Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night, " she said folding her arms. Zuri could feel her gaze then, peering at him, not in contempt or pity. But in a way she had perfected over the three years of their time together. The look of a worried mother wishing her children no pain. His eyes stared down at the metal flooring, as the shaking enveloped him. He knew it would pass, it always passed, but even as he stood there staring at the flooring, an uneasy feeling fell upon him. They were both right in a way. They had been hunting and hunting and found nothing for weeks it seemed. They each knew something had appeared. Something in the air had changed. The four of them weren't about to give up finding out what it was, or who it was. They were fighting for more than themselves, but for the lives of others. Fighting for the things that drove them each. Finally the shaking passed his breathing fell into normalcy and he was back on his feet ready to withstand the onslaught of the wind that whipped his hooded jacket and black pants flapping about him.

"I honestly think Lazil could be correct in this instance. We just have to be thorough this time. Leaving nothing to chance. " His voice was stern, almost as if he were talking to the very children Amethyst seem to consider them as. He smiled walking up to the group, watching the wind whip and rip, slipping through their hair and clothes, giving each of them a majestic air about their individual persons. Each wanting to come into their own right but just falling short.

Amethyst with her quiet velvet and violet colors, tightly wound against her skinny well physically formed frame. Her midriff showing her abs under her tight woven long sleeve shirt. Her dark velvet hair lengthened to her shoulders, not whipping, but flowing gently with the wind, every now and then splashing on her smooth cheeks.

Lazil was different somehow. The majestic quality of his stance giving him that of a preternatural warrior. One that held himself with high esteem but understood the wisdom etched into the world that surrounded him, His long electric blue and black streaked braid flapping behind out into the open air of the cargo bay. His long sleeved shirt with embedded armor upon the elbows, chest and shoulders, shimmered just slightly in the light. The sleeves rolled up to showcase his thin muscular forearms.

Zuri had always been impressed with these two, their stances, the way they moved, the way they carried themselves. It was, to him, inspirational. It was a simple smile that he gave them then, but in it contained the reassurance that they needed just as much as he did. A hand on Lazil's shoulder he nodded to Amethyst and then to Eden. The fourth of their group. A special person, to each of them. Zuri couldn't help but find himself smiling broader when he looked to her. Her shimmering green eyes cast out into the world, reflecting the sea of trees that toppled and waved beneath them. Dancing in the sunlight, creating a frenzy that both disturbed and relaxed the animals below. Zuri always fell into those eyes, his time them fleeting, passing. Always enough to calm him when he needed it most. In his most desperate times.

The wind didn't thrash about her as it did the others, but caressed her gracefully. Her blond hair dyed with green streaks flowing over her shoulder. Her hooded jacket flaring, her tight ensemble of green and black tight to her curves as she held herself just over the lip of the cargo bay door, taking in the scene around her. A soft smile ever present upon her deep red lips. He watched her for a moment, drinking in her sight, letting her visage fill his mind before he turned towards the pilot chair.

"How far out are w…"

The airship turned sharply throwing Zuri off balance. Slipping off the metal floor his right shoulder and left hand hit the far wall. In front of them out of the view port soared a flock of Nevermore. Some bigger than the others, but all still consistently the same. They moved on mass as if they were one being with hundreds of eyes and claws. The airship banked again and began firing through the black cloud that obscured all vision. It parted where the dust bullets fell into it only to be sealed up again in by dozens more that took the place of the fallen.

"Everyone hold on. It's chasing us." The pilot yelled to her passengers. The airship leaned back as it dodged an onslaught of black limbs reaching for its undercarriage. The cloud moving in tow with the ship. Zuri shaken, finally stood on his feet and stared ahead of him. Out on that large black mass that swallowed sky and earth below.

"What in the world. I haven't seen anything like that. What…"

Again the airship turned dodging yet another sputter of nevermore that shot straight at them. The smaller black cloud barely missing the hull. Once passed the cloud split and the individual creatures fell in on the open cargo bay. The inside of the airship was full of cawing grimm, taking up space that they'd all rather have kept empty. No screams were heard, only disgruntled grunting and the sound of dust cartridges being expelled. The cargo bay was cleared just as quick as it was filled. The pilot seemed dazed as the ship tilted slightly before snapping back to.

"I hate to ask politely, but please get us out of here, now!"

Zuri's voice was lost in the tumult of roaring engines as the ship lifted higher into the sky and flew beyond the cloud. ZEAL looked down upon it, hovering just out of reach of its feathery tendrils watching in awe as it blotted out any indication that the ground existed beneath. Whether or not the pilot had heard Zuri's plea it mattered no in that instance, for the young woman jolted the control sticks and the flew out beyond the reach of the massive black cloud. The engorging mass, hovered for a moment above, and in the trees seeming to fight itself with what it wanted. half of the creatures pulling towards the speeding airship, the other half falling in on itself as the creatures mashed together fought one another for dominance and control. Finally the writhing cloud encircled in onto itself and the frantic motion of black inked feathers calmed. The cloud did not give chase. They were free from its writhing grip. For now.

Releif swelled in all of them as the pilot leveled out the airship, its underbelly caressing the tops of the trees, blowing leaves and rustling branches alike. Zuri watched as the womans hands shook, sweat dripped down her face only to intermingle with a small tendril of blood that trickled from a cut on her forhead. He placed a hand upon her shoulder in an effort to relax her trembling. Not knowing if this would be enough he added words to the soothing gesture.

"It's fine. You're fine. We're almost there and then you can set down and relax for a bit." His own tone calm. His demeanor reflecting a serenity she seemed to absorb. Her hands stopped trembling, but only slightly as she reached up and flicked a few switches to adjust something within the airship. He watched her for a bit his own mind whirling back to when he used to be afraid. When the Grimm frightened him. One of his first encounters with the black silhouettes found him in a small clearing, holding a blade in hand, staring down the creatures as they rushed forth ransacking all they could around him. How his father made him go out into the field. The overwhelming fear, and exultation he felt almost smothered him, making his body quake under the pressure of his father's demanding bellows and his own shouting instincts telling him to run. Both of these mindsets were, at the same time fighting for dominance and attempting to control his body as he slew his first one. His movements were jerky, and uncoordinated but still somehow he had managed, watching as the creature's body evaporating into a black swirling mist, dissipating into the air. Flowing ever upwards into a never ending cycle that none were aware of. It was panic and excitement that filled him. Something that he had never felt before. A feeling of purpose had welled in him. And with that feeling, fear followed, sniffing at it's heels before leaping to strike down the rising emotion freezing his body in place. Making his hands shake, and his legs give out from under him. He had fallen amidst the turmoil of his own soul and the battlefield that slowly engulfed him.

Zuri's crimson eyes watched the pilot before him. Her hand came up to wipe away the blood and sweat mixture that slowly trickled its way down her flushed cheek. Almost wishing he could go back before that time when it was simpler. Eating at tables, laughing with his sister and mother, and getting hearty guffaws from his lean and muscular father. Another movement of the pilots as she turned the ship West towards the town of Chlor, caught his eye and his tensed body had relaxed. He breathed and looked back at the mass of black that they were quickly leaving behind and for an instant, a slow immeasurable instant. He saw something furrow out, reaching from the black mass of nevermore. A red glint of an eye staring back at him, watching him from its perch within the swirling tumult. He stood straight then watching it with such an intensity that would make most men falter under his gaze. It got smaller and smaller, never once headed after them, or in their general direction, not once. As it dissipated slowly evaporating into the horizon, the greens of the trees coveting the black swirling vortex, he could only think of what their next move would be. They were headed to Chlor. A city that his adopted father had built to begin repairing the relations between faunus and humans. But they all knew. All of team ZEAL, knew there was something else there. Something far more devious. Now however he didn't have time to think about it. Whether or not it was headed towards Chlor they would have to deal with it later. For now he was content. Once more he looked out the windshield of the airship, studying the horizon before them, watching, waiting for the small town to come into view just over the horizon. He could see it then, after a couple of minutes had gone by, the outline, the jutting buildings, the thatched roofs, some still under repair, some still in construction. Out in the distance he could make it out. Chlor.

Their destination slowly unfolding before them.

* * *

Milla didn't remember waking up. Her mind had been blurred, not just her sight which was naturally shortsighted, but her mind as well. Her thoughts muddled together never truly forming coherent words or images. Everything constantly slurring together bending and twisting into one another and coming out in a jumbled mess of confusion, denying any escape from her lips. She was aware that her mouth was moving, that her body was moving, that she was laying in a bed, her bed, and that she had been in immense pain. The pain was all but present, having dissipated in the night, her self serving aura healing the many cuts, scratches, scrapes and bruises that had battered her body. The same pain caused by the collapsing of the roof and shower of feathers that had pelted and stuck into her body. Slowly, painfully slowly, reality seemed to check itself into her senses. First came touch. The fluffed blanket that strapped her to her bed, the sides tucked under the mattress to keep her from moving about when she first awoke, the soft cotton sheets underneath that were beginning to scrunch up under her back. The way her hair fell against her cheeks and neck, covering some of her face as well. She was trying to shimmy out of the confined blanket cocoon that someone had wrapped her in. A force that in this moment of weakened struggle she could not defeat.

Her next senses were sight and sound at the same time. The room around her coming into complete focus, and the sounds of her own groaning and complaints filling her ears and feeding a headache that came upon her in full force. At this she closed her mouth, all moaning instantly stopping for fear of more pain wracking her already weakened self. She tried sitting up but realized that she was in fact tightly confined and had no hope of being released by her own influences.

"It seems the moaning has stopped. Does that mean you're alright?"

A familiar voice echoed in her ears. Her senses might have been back, but they were still recovering from their harrowing experience. She groaned as another small burst of pain fed her newly developed headache only to wince at this as well.

"I'll assume that's a no."

She closed her eyes, tearing her sight from the white painted ceiling above her.

"Milla you got hit pretty hard. You and Yatsu both. Your both healing but I don't think you'll be fighting for a little bit. At least another day."

The voice began explaining her condition, or something close to that. How was it that she couldn't seem to comprehend what it was that was being said to her. Another day? That doesn't makes sense. That means she had to have been out for more than one day. And that in itself was horrifying to even think about. She began to wriggle from underneath the comforters that held her, first her shoulders, then her arms, buffeting them against the tightly woven blankets around her and the soft bed that supported her body underneath trying to loosen something. She knew she was constrained by heavy fabric covering her entire body but she hadn't known by what.

"Hey you need to hold still. You're still recovering. Milla stop.." The voice to the left of her said. It sounded far away but she knew in reality how close it was.

"Milla...st.." The voice cut off as the another familiar sound, the echo of footsteps on wooden flooring , entered the room followed by another voice. This one was harder to recognize as she had never heard it before.

"I think it's safe to assume she wants out of her blanket prison. Why don't you let her up. We need to talk to her about what's happening here anyway."

The voice was soft, calm, and deep. Not so deep that it would echo in her ears or reverberate her senses but a relaxing deepness that was akin to her swimming in clear blue water. The picture of shining sun just under the surface of the water filled her mental visage as she continued her slowly relinquishing struggle. It was a cascading effect as she felt her snug tucking give way to the cool breath of air that filtered in, caressing her now bare skin. She breathed in a bit opening her eyes seeing the whole room now, her head twirling this way and that taking in everything that had surrounded her. She almost didn't recognize the four walls and computer screens that littered the far opposite wall until she noted the difference from what it usually was. It was her room yes, but cleanlier. All of the piles of papers, and notes and booklets that had littered her desk and around her scroll station were now neat tidy piles. The floor seemed to have been swept and mopped and her bed. Now with ruffled blankets at her feet. Her eyes continued to wash over her room until finally landing upon the three that stood next to her bed. Two of them she recognized instantly but the third.

"What...what happened to me?" Her voice was hoarse, coming out in scratches. Her throat was in pain but not enough to bother her or for her to notice as she stared at the third being in the room. No one answered at that moment.

Next to her stood Coco and Fox. Fox with his pure white eyes standing behind the Coco and the other man, his soft brooding expression filling his facial features as he watched Milla come out of her ruffled sleep. Coco was adjusting her sunglasses as she stepped aside letting the white haired boy walk up next to her bed. His crimson eyes peering into hers. Something about him, the way he moved towards her or looked about the room in a studious expression, bothered her. Milla's first reaction when seeing him was to run. Run as far away as possible. An overbearing presence, though as fleeting as it was pushed into the back of her mind, kicking her instincts into a frenzy that she had only felt once before. Her healing body tensing as he pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. She couldn't help it, almost letting the sensation to lash out at him overwhelm her mind. Even though she was still tired, her brain still recovering from being out for so long, she managed, somehow, to control the violent urge that continued to whelm up in her and crash against all reason.

"Who are you." Her confused scratchy tone gave way to a biting remark as he simply smiled at her, flashing sharpened canines. Her sudden look of wariness did not seem to affect him at all.

"My name's Zuri. I'm from team ZEAL."

Zuri..that name sounded vaguely familiar. As if she heard it somewhere in her travels but couldn't quite place it. She tried looking away, to glance at Coco who stood nearby her arms folded just under her chest. Her back now leaning against the wall behind him, but she couldn't. Too captivated by his red crimson, all she could do is stare, the uneasiness never once fading from the back of her mind.

"You're Milla Sadaa, correct? You've been assigned to Chlor for the past couple of months along with multiple other teams from Beacon Academy in order to protect the borders from Grimm?"

The question felt more like a statement. As if he was making sure his information was correct. She nodded slowly but resolutely, not wanting to show more weakness in her than was already present in her physically drained state. However she knew that was not the case. Her bones may have creaked as she moved them and her muscles tightening as she flexed her arms and moved her legs on her bed, but she knew that she had been well rested and well taken care of. Her Aura, her sense of life, her innermost soul, had been licking her wounds ever since she had blacked out mid fall.

"Good, I have some questions regarding the Grimm activity. You're cohorts here, team CFVY, say that since you had your accident the grimm count went down a lot, but they also told me that you've been surveying the forest with your airships. Can…." Zuri seemed to hesitate for a moment. His crimson eyes locking on her wary deep blue ones. "I take a look at those notes. See if I can put something together. I'm looking for something and it seems that the thing I'm looking for may have been in the area recently."

He finished his explanation studying her. Watching her fidgeting movements as she brought herself back to reality. Slowly and semi painfully. She moved her finger about, cracking each one individually more from a nervous habit then continuing her exploration of moveable body parts. She wished she had her parka now, if only to hide within it.

Coco seemed taken aback at this new bit of information as she pushed off the wall using her shoulder and walked up to the bed, hand gripping the new young man's shoulder.

"That isn't what you told us when you got off the airship. What's this about?"

Zuri wasn't phased at the tightening grip, simply letting Coco do what she wished. Milla watched as the boy patted her hand, slowly his overwhelming crimson gaze switching from Milla to Coco.

"There are multiple reasons why we are here, and one of them is to be a placeholder for the new team that will be replacing you shortly. The other is to find information about a small group of…." He paused for a moment trying to grab a word from midair. He struggled for a moment before finally coming up with something that would possibly please Coco whose grip only tightened on his shoulder at the pause, "Anti-Vale thugs."

Coco heard this, her grip loosened a bit, the indication that she would pummel him if he was lying to any of them clear in her intentional contact.

"Anti...vale...thugs?" She questioned using her other hand to pull down her sunglasses to get a clear look at the white haired faunus. That's when she noticed them, the twitching white fur covered ears upon his head. She noted as they twitched more fervently the more Coco had pressed upon his shoulder.

"I could call them insurrectionists, or rebels...but neither of those actually feel right. We don't have a name for them yet. They haven't been very...forthcoming about who they are. However we do know that they are trying to disrupt multiple facilities and stir panic within the populace. They are also very anti faunus and humans coexisting under the same roof, therefore we been able to assess that Chlor would be a prime target for them to apprehend or in a worst case scenario, completely wipe out." A flash of solid red filled Milla's vision as his eyes moved between Milla and Coco. It was quick. Too quick for her to almost grasp that he had glanced in her direction. Coco's hand finally released his shoulder tentatively, as if she was unsure whether or not to trust him in this moment. If he had kept this information upon his arrival, what else was team ZEAL hiding from them. She steeled herself to find out later, back when they were in the safety of beacon and had access to information that was otherwise unavailable at the moment.

Milla took this in, her thoughts befuddled as she tried thinking about what this could mean. Her thoughts becoming clouded, whisking around themselves trying to make connections still holding the barrage of flight or fight instincts that held her in place. Making her fidget nervously upon the bed. Her hands bunched up her cotton pajama pants at her thighs, closing and opening rhythmically as they tried to find something, anything to hold onto. Her breathing grew heavier as her mind flitted through images that her eyes had told her she once saw, trying to make a connection, trying to fight the instinct to claw his face with her fingernails, trying to subdue and relax her muscles. Finally it seemed as if the fogginess of reawakening to the world cleared, and her thoughts returned to normal. She let out a deep sigh as she motioned her head over to her desk.

"Do you know how to use a multi-scroll setup?" She asked tilting her head in the direction of her desk. Her voice was softer now. Her throat having recovered from finally being used after a while. She ran her tongue over her lips, wetting them a bit before proceeding with the rest of the conversation. Feeling the cracked skin with her pink muscle.

He eyed it for a moment and then nodded.

"I do."

"All of my notes are on there. Surveillance of the forest, times and dates of attacks, how many we lost, how much repairs to Chlor would be…." She trailed off when he nodded again showing he understood. She had been in Chlor since the first construction team came out to build. That was over half a year ago. It wasn't until recently, a few weeks at most, that the grimm count had soared to the overwhelming numbers that had assaulted them. Perhaps...this Zuri could find something she couldn't in her data. Find a hint or a clue as to why so many grimm were dead set on trampling the walls of Chlor. Her thoughts paused at this, finally connecting his words into coherent thought. Chlor, it was supposed to be a staple of human and faunus relationships, combining and intertwining the races, making both truly equal in the eyes of societal development. True equality, where both faunus and humans could treat one another with the same respect, have positions high in their small civil government. If anything this was a testament to how far both races had come in accepting one another. Something that couldn't take place in either Vale or Atlas, or any other of the major cities of Remnant. Chlor was going to be one of the founding cities that allowed both to live in peace, away from the scrutiny of underdeveloped minds. Milla swelled then remembering why she did all of this, why she became a huntress and why she agreed to stay in Chlor. A pride overwhelming her, pushing down the pressing instinct that he had raised in her. It was fleeting though as she watched him stand and head over to the desk. A sudden whisper in her mind telling her to stop him, to make him leave. But she was in no position to tell him off. With her weakened state and the nervous wreck that was her hands, the only thing she wished for was the comfort of her baggy parka. A shield from the world, from the cold that slipped over her skin and grasping at the small strands of hair that slicked down her arms, from the penetrating crimson gaze of his that pierced through her very being. So intense that it broke all of her defenses causing her to want to run. She knew then that she was afraid of this faunus. Instinctively so, and she couldn't gather any string of logic that would reveal the reason why. She watched as he sat down at her desk and began typing away. Coco, Fox and Milla all watching his back. Watching him with a ferocity they would a grimm.

* * *

A bubbling pit of the miasmic abyss pushed forth. Gurgling and frothing at the edge of consciousness, berating itself, turning in on itself, over and over again. Feeding its very own being as it sought out those like it, absorbing them into its black inked flesh. Letting their experiences, their instincts feed into its own. Forming and shaping a mass so unrecognizable that it could only produce pure shadow. Not even the red tinge escaped its murky depths. It felt everything and saw nothing, spreading itself out into the open freedom where it found itself, clawing its way through the truth that lay before it. Flashes of white spilled from its surfaced hide as it continued its way, fleeing from itself as it found what lay in wait.. A slow cognizant imprint becoming more and more aware of its own being. Its own lashing, clawing, defiant, devoid lack of non conscience.

It's own utterly undeniable conscious thought.


	4. Chapter 4: A fathers word

Above them, the sky was blocked. The jutting peninsula of the cliff spreading its long earthen finger out into the distance that soared hundreds of feet over the town of Chlor coveting it in shadow. The high noon sky being blacked out by this monstrous island of land that stood hovering, concealing. Allowing those below protection from the constant dangers that surrounded them. Death on every side. Lazil shuddered, the stifled wind blowing from over the forests tree tops to his back washing over his bare skin, blowing his long braid about in a lazy swing behind him. He craned his neck looking into the blotted out sky, studying the overhanging cliff. His thoughts could only reflect what he knew about this place, what he had studied. What his father had made him learn as he and his "disciples" drew up their plans for this place. He stood on the outskirts of Chlor, next to one of the barrier generators that had malfunctioned a few days previously, allowing grimm to almost throttle the people here. As he studied the immediate surroundings, watching those that repaired the device, trying to restore their protection, he couldn't help but notice a few different anomalies. There were things out of place here. When they had founded the generator that was broken the people of Chlor had come to investigate. Combing over each aspect, each part of the device until finally settling on sabotage. Lazil's attention finally snapped back to the task at hand as he watched the mechanics hands slowly feel, and caress the metal. Treating it with the utmost care.

He smiled as the faunus before him tinkered with different projected metal appliances that coveted the machines surface. The way she stared at it and focused on it drew Lazil in, causing him to also stare at her for a undetermined amount of time. He was lost in her task just as much as she was, his thoughts centering on everything that had been happening in the past couple of days. Her fingers gliding over the metallic surface coming into contact with certain appendages, prying things loose, cutting wires, stripping panels and putting it all back together in a lovely flourish that held Lazil, awed. He had never seen such profession in human mechanics. Not once. He was sure that this, was one of the perks for living here. Being recognized for their talents, whether or not they were faunus, or human. A smile had slowly crept across his lips as he watched her. Her black hair stuck to her sweat and grease covered face. She rubbed dirt from her forehead with the back of her hand only to replace it with black smudges. He laughed, and she stopped working for a moment looking up at him, her dark brown eyes studying him before going back to work.

"I can't believe that someone would sabotage our barriers like this." A man who was watching the woman work next to him spoke. His voice full of joyous undertone but his meaning was clear.

"I'm sorry Brick." Lazil's gaze turned toward the man now, his eyes turning upwards into an apologetic frown.

"My dear Mr. Ouroran, it's not your fault, we know how you're family is trying its best to fix the problem at hand." Brick replied. His jolly tones holding a deeper comforting ring.

Lazil sighed. His mind now wandering to the more deeper implications that this barrier generator might hold.  
"Yes we are. If you need any help at all, just feel free to ask. I'll call my father and have him send whatever it is you need." He stated.

"I can tell you we're lucky to have Vale and Astral on our side. The fact that your family is so heavily sponsoring our cause brings hope to both races. Lazil, your family are heroes in our eyes."Lazil sighed deigning the man to continue his appraisals of the family not once stopping to correct him. It wasn't because he was wrong, Lazil himself just didn't have the energy to explain at the moment. Or the want to. He never felt like a hero. Just another lackey basking in his father's shadow. It sickened him to the core. However he loved his Loch. The man that was his father, with all his heart. He just didn't like the way he was treated by those surrounding him.

At this the woman dropped her wrench, frustration contorting her face as she pulled on a metal object sticking out the machine in front of her.

"Aurora, what's wrong dear?" the man stated heading over to her. The woman stood up in front of them, grasping her hand in pain and shaking it.

"Nothing Brick, I just, jammed my wrist trying to dislodge that damned Fiber optic cable." She swung her hand a bit until the pain had died down. She eyed the machine again and kicked it. A hollow sound rang out from its depths.

"Yea it was sabotaged alright. We won't be able to fix this one. Do you think we'll be able to get a replacement."

There was a hopeful tone in her voice as she stared directly at Lazil.

The boy stared back, a deep blue ocean, gazing into her deep murky brown river. He swung his head from side to side before coming back to the forefront of his mind, laughing nervously as he gave her a hearty,

"Yes."

This seemed to please the her. Picking up her wrench she walked off grabbing her bags, and began organizing the metal appliances, pipes, and broken bits into piles around her. Cleaning the mess that she, and whomever had destroyed the machine has left here.

Brick's face took on a sheen in the shadow of the cliff, his forehead creasing as he turned to Lazil.

"How...long do you think it would take to bring and set up another barrier pod." he asked. The noon sun slowly began peaking over the lip of the hovering peninsula lighting up the area of which they stood.

"I'd have to call and see. I should probably do it now though since we know there's no way to repair this." Lazil stated, his eyes washing over the Barrier generator in front of him. The implications of this continuing to become more and more solid within his mind.

Sabotage, the purposeful act of destroying something to hurt the enemy. Lazil's hands came up to the side of his head, his fingers slowly rubbing his temples. They had been chasing ghosts for weeks. No months. His father's equality rallies had been consistently attacked, or dismantled, as well as the peaceful faunus protests out in the courtyards of Vale. Both humans and faunus supporters of the equality regime alike have gone missing, and even the governors of Vale, specifically the ones that supported the equality rights, have been attacked. Whatever motive these people had, it was, to put it how Zuri summed it up, blatant racist fascism. There was no other explanation. No other way to see it. Every goal that they tried to achieve through peaceful means had so far almost been eradicated due to violent outburst of this sect. Still though, the people themselves continued to band together, to try. Those who strove for peace, wanted peace. Facing down this adverse threat with their own pounding hearts and their strong wills. It had taken another set of months, with rallying, peaceful protests in the streets of the major cities, but the city of Chlor had, at last, been planned out, established and presented to the directors of Vale, Mistral, Vacuo and Astral. The four of them, after much debate, had finally agreed and began pouring resources into the city, finding a good geographical location, scouting it for months, before the actual construction began.

Hunters from all four of the main countries clearing out the area in a large radius, until finally it was safe. Safe enough to build Chlor. Still his father, Loch Ouroran, pressed on, his campaign to gather humans and faunus together, bringing those with both leadership qualities and highly advanced skill from all across remnant here, to this place. Uprooting lives that were sown in disarray, and bringing them a placid comfort that was Chlor. Equality, freedom, everything to do with what they wanted. A true neutral ground where the world weighed in. The Ouroran family name had been plastered with this place. Whether it succeeded or failed, their name, his name, would always be attached with Chlor. This meant that they'd be blamed for anything happening to the city. Even with his father's goal to unite both faunus and humans...it would only end in heart shattering destruction. So many lives rested on his name and he was all too aware of this. Lazil stopped, smiled at the man named Brick and brought out his scroll. A few paces away he hit the call button.

Instantly he was patched to his father's personal scroll. The man's face appearing in his screen.

Rough and ragged, bagged lines under his eyes, their bluish green sheen not quite present through the screen as normally present when face to face.

"Son? What wrong. What happened? Why did the barrier break?" His voice sounded stern and urgent.

"Calm down dad." He replied. He flashed a quick up-tilt smile at him, his free hand now rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced back at the wreckage that was the barrier generator.

"They need a new generator. We can afford it with the donation funds that we get from the rallies right?"

His father on the other end narrowed his eyes. He normally did this when he was thinking, it was a tight expression. One that brought his eyebrows together in tight concentration.

"What kind of generator?"

"Oh right." He had forgotten to give the man details, his mind so wracked with what had happened in front of him.

"A Barrier generator. It was…" He paused looking at his father's scrunched up face. That solid stern expression. His stubbled chin folding at different intervals, his straight jaw, all showing his years of experience dealing with idiots and fools within the government. "Sabotaged. Someone, probably the same people who keep attacking your rallies, broke it. We're gonna have to set up some of our personal guard here."

The man's facial features loosened a bit, a tight breath escaped his nostrils.

"Is that all? I'll have Sky look into funding. Perhaps we'll be able to scrounge something together. I'm holding another donation rally soon. That should help cover the costs. What happened to Milla? I heard she ran into some trouble. Were you able to get her the drones she needed from her workshop?"

Lazil shrugged in his view port and began slowly shaking his head.

"I don't know. Zuri's working on that now. I'll have to check up with him."

"Good. Please write up a final report on the situation once you've concluded investigating. I'm going to need estimates on all the damages. Including on everything that was destroyed in the grimm attack. Milla should have that data." He sighed outwardly, the monitor catching the creasing of his mouth around the edges.

"Give Brick and Milla my regards son while you're there. Tell them we'll do everything we can to fix this situation. We have been working on it since we were first contacted with the news."

Lazil's lips turned up in a sarcastic grin.

"I know, I was there."

Loch ignored the jab and continued, " Also, we'll need you back here in two days time. I think Dr. Cain is making a breakthrough in his research and he needs Eden to be present for the experiments. I'm not quite sure what they are, he was, very vague in the details."

Confusion spread across his face.

"Eden won't like that news." he said.

"You and I both know Eden doesn't really have a choice. I'm sorry son. I hate to be the bearer of bad news like this. Truly. Just, just you and Zuri be safe. I love you boys and don't want anything happening to either of you. I don't think your mother could take it." He said, it was mixed in with a hearty exhausted laugh. He grinned farewell. It was a soft fatherly grin that Lazil had seen on hundreds of occasions. One that always filled him up with hope and warmth, a pleasant chill running down his spine as he felt his body fully relax. His father would handle it, he was already handling the situation as best he could. As soon as they heard about the grimm attack, Lazil's team was outfitted and rushed out to the scene while they back in the city determined the possible damages and costs to fix whatever had been destroyed. Already ready to appeal to the council's of both Vale and Astral for sponsorship, and repair costs. In fact Loch had been the leading role model plunging their entire family's middle class wealth into the project, always ready to chock up whatever he earned into helping Chlor. Seeing this, other investors of the project wholeheartedly donated charity funds, held balls, and even contacted the Hunter school and hired both direct students and third party mercenaries to help clear out the surrounding woods. Now however something had changed, the grimm were back, and they were attacking in droves.

It would only be a matter of time before fear and worry brought hordes to this entrepreneurial cities limits. Something Lazil had to stop, something team Zeal had to make sure never happened.

Placing his scroll back in his pocket he turned to the large breasted man who stood by Aurora. The brown furred fox faunus was still studying the damage to the the generator. Her tail swishing about the air languidly, ruffling the oil stains on her pants and smearing the black grease prints over the ground.

"Even if it comes in tomorrow it'll still take a couple of days set up and link with the others." She was saying to Brick. A worried expression cut into the man's chiseled jaw. His work suit dull in the sun's overhead light.

"Well I've got that taken care of. Team Zeal will stay for a few days and help the students of Beacon watch the walls and make sure no grimm or other trespassers get passed it."

Bricks shoulders loosened, the tightened muscles in his back relaxing when he heard the news. The woman's grease covered face twisted into an awkward grin.

"So you're saying that the Ouroran family will actually stand on the front lines for us? How unexpected." She smiled at him, her fur blotted with black spots from the machines still spewing oil. The area around it slick with the light black sheen.

Lazil studied her for a moment, faked a curtsy, and smiled.

"The Ouroran family will try its damnedest ma'am."

Her and the large man's laughter chorused together, intertwining into a joyful ring that would always remind Lazis of this moment.

* * *

Walking along the top of the parapet walls not far from Lazil, Amethyst's gaze rested on the treetops, watching, waiting, for any signs of movements to leap from the dark shadows beneath. Eden stood next to her, her face glazed over as if lost in a dreaming thoughts. Ones that would help her escape from this world. Her own reality shimmering away into nothing. Amethyst's expression tightened as she nudged her partner.

"Pay attention Eden…" There was a sternness in her voice, mixed with a soft gentle soothing that emanated from her very being.

"I am, just in a different way." She replied, tone cutting and edged. Amethyst backed away from her for a moment. Almost expecting an attack to come from her right. Nothing ever happened.

"No you're daydreaming again when you're supposed to be on watch. Eden, this isn't something we can half.."

"I know that Amethyst. By the grimm, all you ever do is complain about my work ethic. Let up for once will ya." She turned, and in doing so Eden's entirety came into view. Her completely radiant face basking in the sun's light. Glittering bright yellow blonde hair trailing behind her head down to her thighs. Amethyst couldn't help but smile. Always looking at her overwhelmed her senses. Her body relaxing, the feeling crept across her muscles as she reached out to touch Eden's shoulder. A tentative, cautious, touch that meant to display calm and reassurance.

"Sorry. I'm just, worried that everything will go wrong. Everything always goes wrong, especially when our group is involved."

Eden answered by shaking her head, her long blonde tendrils falling so effortlessly over her shoulders.

"It only seems that way because of all the bad luck we've been having. I'm sure the boys will find something. They both had leads to chase...Yea there's only the rumor that people have been messing things up here, but if anything that clenches it for me. This is definitely the right place to look." Eden said placing her hand upon Amethysts.

She knew Eden was mad at her, but somehow, she always knew how to smile, how to brighten her face to make all of the pain and worry inside her go away. This was Eden always bright and cheerful, always their sun, shining deep through their darkness. Their precious garden that each of them tended carefully lest it ever lost its green shimmer. All three of them looked to her, not for support, or leadership, but for clarity. She always had a way of making the most dire situations seem somehow inconsequential. Even now as they stood on the precipice of possible disaster, the end of Chlor lying in wait before them. Still she stood strong for them. The weight of the world bearing down upon her shoulders but she never seemed to mind them. Amethyst admired this girl. This young girl that was slowly growing into a woman in her own right.

Amethyst's head bobbed up and down indicating that she knew, and agreed with her. She was right. They would find something, anything leading to the people behind this. She was sure of it. So sure.

Her gaze fell back upon the forest below. Watching. Waiting. Her and her partner being the guardians that Chlor needed at the moment. A wall between life and death for the people that actively worked at their backs. Nothing, would get by them.

* * *

Among the brambles and eddies, the tides and thrusts, the ebb and flow, the miasmic pit washed itself in thoughts and words. Words foreign to its very being. Words that developed into screams. Screams that soon became nought but a distant sound within the vastness of the world. Echoing off the hollows that was surrounding life. Feeding it's being, shaping it, forming its tight lines into vague shadows, until it had at last, settled itself. A form of shadow and bone etched into its very existence shambled forth towards its desires. The heated burning will, sheltering its innermost unwanted thoughts. Leg, foot, step, it came and went peering into horizon before it, clumsily stretching its new found limbs out into the dark brightness its surroundings. Reaching, feeling, the textures of things and objects causing it to shiver and shake. A void of delight filling its entire being as it discovered more and more and more. Until it had finally reached the pinnacle of self that knew what it wanted and where it needed to go.

"Kill the humans." It whispered from its murky depths. It's newly founded thoughts centering on this revelation.

"Leave none of them alive."


End file.
